I'm Back

I got back last night and was excited to see the family!

I must say I had a good time at the conference though. There were some pretty good speakers and also some boring ones too. It seems like we ate all the time! I think I gained 10 pounds in a couple days! They put us up at the Hilton and we had a great view. I just wish they could have held the conference by the poolside! Here are pictures taken from my hotel room window.

Well, I'm off to Wilmington for a work conference tomorrow. I'll only be gone till Tuesday. The girls will be staying with their Nana while I'm away. This will be the longest time I've ever been away from the baby. I'm going to miss them so much! I must say it will be a little nice to only have to get myself ready and I'll actually get to eat a meal without having to stop. I really won't get to sleep in though. That stinks! Well, gotta go spend time with the kids!

Wordless Wednesday

Mattie Update

Today Early Intervention came to the house. The OT, Ms. Lisa, was there to evaluate Mattie's progress. She watched as Mattie was able to grab for a rattle, even switching it from hand to hand. She saw her sit with assistance holding her head steady. Mattie also did a lot of push ups and foot pull ups really working her abs. Some things she wanted to keep a secret like how she can roll over both ways and how well she lifts her head so high when she's on her tummy. Ms. Lisa showed us some new things to work on like holding onto our feet. She said the best tool is the floor and not all those fancy smancy things you can buy. She said her arms and legs will get strong when she plays on the floor. Finally, she said Mattie was doing great and Mattie was meeting all her milestones. Hooray Mattie!

Stolen Again!

O.K. my little Mattie has been kidnapped again! Miss Kim took her last night to spend the night with them. We've also got some other friends asking for their day too! I get more calls that go like this:

"Don't you need to run errands? I'll take the baby."

"Are you getting enough sleep? We could keep the baby."

"Would you like some time to yourself? I would love to have the baby!"

"Wouldn't it be easier if you didn't have to take the baby with you?"

I guess I can't blame them. Who can resist a face like this??

Oh.....What Fun!

Yesterday, my friend Kim and I took the kids to Imagination Station to have some hands on fun. I had my girls and she had her two kids. We also took our friend Tracey's kids and my friend Stephanie's boy. In all we had 8 kids in tow plus Mattie. They had a really nice time. The best thing was that they could touch everything! Here are a few pictures from the day.

Future Dentists'

Head on a Platter
Mirror Fun
That's one big snake!
Coin Fun!

Today Abby went to the dentist to have 3 baby teeth pulled. She was such a champ! It was a 2 hour process, because her dentist let her decide when she needed a break. I thought maybe I'd end up spending the night, but they finally got them out. Her next step is to have an expander placed in the roof of her mouth. We'll crank it with a key each night until the roof of her mouth widens. This will help her to breathe better and give her more room for those new teeth to come down. After that, then the braces will go on.

Ouch!

Low Country Boil

Yummmm! This was one of the meals we had while on vacation. This works best outside. It's an easy meal, with pretty easy clean up. You bring a large pot of water with an Old Bay Season Packet to a boil. We used a turkey cooker to bring the water to a boil faster. When it comes to a boil, add in potatoes, corn on the cob, kielbasi, shrimp, crab legs, and clams. You can add or substitute anything you like or don't like. We usually let the potatoes and corn cook for a little while before throwing in the rest. When it's done, drain the liquid and pour onto a table covered with newspapers. Then you just dig in! When you're finished, roll up the newspaper and throw in the trash.